Take Away, Videos and a Smile
by Casy Dee
Summary: Connor shows up with some take-away in the hopes that Abby will share a movie night with him... and he gets a little more from the evening than expected.  A 'what if this happened instead' fic.  One-shot birthday fic for XxbagpussxX!


**A/N: This is a birthday fic for XxbagpussxX! Her prompt was "Something with Connor and Rex perhaps, a little angsty but with hopeful/happy ending." I hope this delivers, and Happy Birthday.**

**This is AU... What if Connor had decided to go see Abby instead of vice/versa after "the kiss."**

**

* * *

**

Take-Away, Videos and a Smile.

Abby had been acting strangely all day, and Connor didn't know what to make of it. At least she'd finally let him move back in. Last night he showed up with Indian take away and some videos and a smile, and before he knew it, they had gone through more Coronas than he would ordinarily drink in a week's time, and he'd found the courage to ask her if he could move back in. It had felt just like old times… sort of.

It had seemed the thing to do at the time. He'd not heard from her since she kissed him… (he couldn't believe she _kissed_ him!) and she was avoiding him at work. It was Friday night which meant movie night, and Lester had told him that he needed to vacate the flat for the evening and take Sid and Nancy with him. Lester had guests coming over, and he told him in no uncertain terms that if there was evidence around that he lived there then he would be out on his arse.

After a couple of awkward phone calls, he had settled on trying to have a movie night with Abby. He could bring the diictodons with him so they could see Rex and Abby, and she'd not kick him out (he hoped) until it was late enough for him to go back to Lester's place. Hopefully, maybe, just maybe she would finally tell him what exactly she'd meant by that kiss.

She'd told him, alright. She'd invited him in and stood staring at him with this weird uneasy look on her face before she had smiled back at him, but it wasn't Abby's real smile. It was awkward and tight and too bright, but he hoped it was just because she was nervous, like he was. He let Sid and Nancy out of their crate to break the tension and laughed out loud as the animals greeted Rex enthusiastically. It made him smile and relax just a little bit more to share the moment with Abby.

"Now that's cute," he'd commented, looking to her for affirmation.

"We've missed them," she had said.

_And me?_ He thought, but he didn't say it out loud. He was afraid of the answer. Last time he asked, she'd ignored the question.

Maybe she'd let him move back in? He'd smiled at her and tried to think of how he could ask her if maybe she would consider going out with him sometime. As always, when he tried to get something like that out, his tongue tied and rebelled. He didn't know which he should ask first, and trying to decide between the two options near paralyzed him with indecision. All he was left with was this insipid shy smile on his face and Abby staring at him.

"I just don't want things to be weird," she'd said offhand.

Connor felt all his hopes and dreams that had been born from that kiss die in an instant. He wasn't sure exactly how he responded; he couldn't think. He'd plastered his unaffected mask on and rambled on about no weird areas or something equally stupid and meaningless. Abby had stared at him as if he was from another planet, and he apologized and started talking about the film to change the subject. Relieved, Abby had smiled and acted like it was any other film night. He'd been crushed.

He'd opened the refrigerator and saw that it was stocked with Corona, and Abby had told him to help himself. Jack had bought it as an apology before he'd left. In light of the crushing disappointment he'd just suffered, he decided that the best medicine was a liberal application of copious amounts of alcohol. So he drank, and Abby joined him, matching him drink for drink.

The question of moving back in had come out on the fourth bottle. Abby had smiled and said that of course he could move back in. Wasn't he her mate? Connor had decided that the occasion deserved more drinking, since he was such a good _mate._

By the end of the evening, Abby was affectionate and hanging on Connor. Rex had settled himself on Connor's knee, and the diictodons were curled up on his blue and purple argyle sock-clad feet. Connor was warm and happy and giggly, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that this comfortable bubbly evening was a lie. Abby's affection was directly related to her level of intoxication, and in the morning he'd be 'just a mate' again. He reveled in it, knowing it was the closest thing he'd ever have to his dream of Abby loving him like he loved her, but it left a bitter aftertaste.

He wanted to kiss her again, but he didn't dare. Not after he'd gotten her to let him move back into the flat. Not after she finally was talking to him again. He was disgusted with himself… at the level of just how pathetically infatuated he was, that he would rather take scraps from the table from her than have nothing at all. She'd fallen asleep in his lap, and he'd carried her into her room and put her to bed. He'd slept on the couch rather than go up to his room. By that time, he wasn't confident in his ability to navigate stairs.

He'd woken up with Rex curled up on his chest and the diictodons sleeping on the floor in the middle of a nest of newly shredded newspaper. Oops. He'd better get that cleaned up before Abby saw it. She loved them nearly as much as he did, but they _were_ destructive and Abby obviously no longer had a Sid and Nancy proofed house. He was on his hands and knees picking up scraps of paper when Abby emerged from her room.

He glanced at her and grimaced, "Don't shout at me Abby, I'm cleaning it up."

She'd given him that weird smile again and headed into the kitchen. She'd handed him a cup of tea when she returned, and then vanished back into her bedroom. She hardly said two words to him the rest of the morning. Connor tried his best to pretend that things were the same as before Abby had kicked him out of the flat, but it was hard to do when she wouldn't play along. Miserable and discomforted, Connor retreated into what used to be his room. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn't made a mistake by coming here, but he couldn't make himself offer to leave.

"Going to yoga. Be back in a little while," Abby called up to the loft.

"Okay. I'm just going to straighten up m'things up here. Jack sort of left it a mess," Connor called back.

Abby's laughter answered him, it was tense and strained, but it was laughter, and he thought just maybe it would be alright between them, once they got past the initial awkwardness. Rex flitted around the loft while he hunted for clean clothes. He'd left most of his stuff here since he was only supposed to be gone for a little while.

"What do ya think Rex? Ya think she missed me or no?" he asked the lizard.

He'd always used Rex as his sounding board. Sometimes he could swear that his answering chirps and whirrs were speech. He'd missed his little friend. He'd missed the family and the home he had created for himself with Abby. Connor hated to think it, but maybe now that she'd had her flat to herself again, he wasn't wanted anymore.

Rex chirruped his reply and landed near him, tilting his head as if considering.

"You're right, mate. I need a shower. I smell like a brewery… and do you know how I got chocolate on me shirt?" he asked curiously.

Rex chirped and whirred before lighting on the bed.

"Oh. Right. Now I remember. Abby kept feeding me her ice cream," he laughed, " Too bad she's not like that sober, in't it?"

He lost his smile. It _was_ too bad. He gathered up his change of clothes and got in the shower. Abby would pitch a fit that he was using her shampoo and conditioner ordinarily, but his toiletries were at Lester's. He supposed she'd forgive him. He emerged from the shower feeling much less hung-over and less sorry for himself, as well. If Abby wanted him to leave, she'd tell him. He wrapped the small towel around his hips and went to get dressed. One thing that was nice about Lester's place was the giant fluffy towels. Maybe he'd buy some for the flat.

His mobile rang in the tune of the Violent Femmes song 'Add It Up,' and that meant it was Abby. He made a mental note that he'd better consider changing the ringtone now that he'd moved back in. He cursed softly; he'd left his phone downstairs. He hurried down the stairs, crying out as he slipped and fell. Connor tumbled down the flight of stairs, landing in an undignified heap at the bottom. Rex chirruped and nudged at Connor, but he didn't move. The diictodons came running at Rex's distress call, but they were unable to rouse him either. They sensed something wrong with Connor and it made them uneasy, but their other human wasn't around to help.

* * *

Connor blinked blearily and tried to sit up; he winced and pressed his hand to the side of his head. He had a large goose-egg knot above his right temple and it _hurt. _

"Whoa, Connor. Lie down. I'm just going to get you some ice, alright? Stay there," Abby cautioned him as she walked out of the bedroom.

What? Wait… he was in Abby's bedroom? In her bed? How did he get in her bed? He was in her bed and he was naked save for his striped boxer shorts which he was most definitely _not_ wearing when he had fallen. His face flamed in mortification. Abby had seen him naked. Abby had dressed him in his boxers and carried him into her bed. Abby had touched him while he was naked. Just his luck, he'd been unconscious for it.

She returned to the bedroom with an ice pack and some painkillers and water. She handed the pills to him and watched as he swallowed them down. He smiled at her gratefully and reached for the ice pack. She sat on the bed next to him instead and held it to his head.

He sucked in a breath as she rested her other hand on his shoulder, "Lie back Connor."

He swallowed and did as she said.

"How did I…?" he began.

"I found you at the bottom of the stairs. I think you fell down them… the animals were frantic. You are heavier than you look, I'll have you know," she answered.

He cleared his throat, "Thanks," it came out husky and low.

He couldn't help it, not with her so near and smiling at him like that. Oh god, she was playing with his hair. He pulled up the blankets a little higher and raised his knee a little bit to hide his growing erection. Unfortunately, he couldn't hide the blood rushing to his face.

"Perhaps you should go to hospital and get checked," Abby said, her voice soft and sweet.

He chuckled, "I'm fine. Been concussed enough to know that…" he trailed off as the hand that wasn't holding the ice pack in place moved from his hair to trace down his cheek in a caress.

His eyes widened, confused, he searched her face. What was she doing? Her fingers trailed down his jaw to his mouth and over his lips. His heart beat wildly, this was _not_ the way you touched a mate.

"You scared me," she whispered.

He blinked rapidly, not sure he understood why or how. When she leaned over and kissed him, he wasn't sure he cared.

END

**

* * *

**

A/N: Did ya like it? Please tell me if you did! (or didn't). Hmmm now did she mean that he scared her when she kissed him or when she found a wet naked Connor unconscious at the bottom of the stairs?


End file.
